7 Best Dobsonian Telescopes of 2026; Reviews
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If your passion is to visually observe deep space objects, one of the best Dobsonian telescopes from our list would be the ultimate tool for the job. The Dobsonian is a simple, low-cost telescope design popularized by San Francisco amateur astronomer John Dobson in the 1970s. It consists of a Newtonian tube assembly riding on a simple, wooden altazimuth base.
Our Top 3 Picks
⭐Best Overall 
Computerized
Prime
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Price
$879.00
$599.95
$629.00
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⭐Best Overall
Computerized
Prime
-
Price
$879.00
Buy
A large primary mirror at the bottom of the tube collects light and concentrates it onto a small secondary mirror, which diverts the light cone out the side of the tube and into the eyepiece.
Their affordability and simplicity of operation make Dobsonians a great first telescope for entry into the hobby of amateur astronomy, especially those in the 6″ to 8″ aperture range.
Larger Dobs, though bulkier to transport, are highly popular among experienced observers, thanks to their tremendous light-gathering prowess and, again, their affordability compared to refractors or catadioptric telescopes.
The larger models disassemble into smaller and lighter components, making it possible to transport a large instrument to a dark site.
Best Dobsonian Telescopes
Nowadays, there is no lack of options when it comes to finding the best dobsonian telescope for any user levels or for the entire family to enjoy home astronomy.
With so many models and characteristics any dobsonian has, it becomes rather hard for both novices and pros to find the one We have analyzed the features that make the best telescope to help you pick out the one that is most suited to you.
1. Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch App-Enabled Telescope
Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch App-Enabled Telescope – 203mm Dobsonian with Smartphone Dock & StarSense App – iPhone & Android Compatible – Easy-to-Use for Beginners
- SMARTPHONE-POWERED SKY TOUR: No experience needed! Just dock your phone, launch the StarSense Explorer app, and follow the on-screen arrows to locate stars, planets, nebulae, and more.
- PATENTED STARSENSE TECHNOLOGY: Unlike other astronomy apps, StarSense Explorer uses sky recognition technology to turn your phone into a celestial navigation system, analyzing star patterns overhead to pinpoint your telescope’s position.
- TONIGHT’S BEST TARGETS, INSTANTLY: The app generates a curated list of the top objects to see based on your time and location. See planets, bright nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the city—and even more from dark skies.
- SIMPLE SETUP, SMOOTH TRACKING: Features an ultra-stable manual altazimuth Dobsonian base. Follow the on-screen arrows to your target; when the bullseye turns green, you can view it clearly through the eyepiece.
- 8-INCH REFLECTOR WITH IMPRESSIVE VIEWS: The 203mm Newtonian reflector with high-reflectivity XLT coatings delivers sharp, vivid views of the Moon, planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and deep-sky favorites like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy.
The StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ brings smartphone-guided stargazing to a classic Newtonian reflector setup — perfect for beginners who want help finding targets without computerized mounts. This telescope uses Celestron’s patented StarSense Explorer technology, where your smartphone’s camera and sensors analyze star patterns overhead and guide you (via on-screen arrows) to celestial objects like planets, bright nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. Celestron
With a 114 mm (4.5″) aperture and 1000 mm focal length, this telescope gathers enough light to deliver bright, detailed views of the Moon, Jupiter and its moons, Saturn’s rings, and the Orion Nebula, making it very satisfying for both lunar and deeper sky observing.
The package includes two eyepieces (25 mm and 10 mm), a 2× Barlow lens to double magnification options, a StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope for optional manual aiming, a full-height tripod with accessory tray, and the StarSense dock for your smartphone.
2. Celestron StarSense Explorer 150 mm Tabletop Dobsonian
Celestron StarSense Explorer 150AZ App-Enabled Telescope – 150mm Tabletop Dobsonian with Smartphone Dock & StarSense App – iPhone & Android Compatible – Easy-to-Use for Beginners
- SMARTPHONE-POWERED SKY TOUR: No experience needed! Just dock your phone, launch the StarSense Explorer app, and follow the on-screen arrows to locate stars, planets, nebulae, and more.
- PATENTED STARSENSE TECHNOLOGY: Unlike other astronomy apps, StarSense Explorer uses sky recognition technology to turn your phone into a celestial navigation system, analyzing star patterns overhead to pinpoint your telescope’s position.
- TONIGHT’S BEST TARGETS, INSTANTLY: The app generates a curated list of the top objects to see based on your time and location. See planets, bright nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the city—and even more from dark skies.
- SIMPLE SETUP, SMOOTH TRACKING: Features a manual altazimuth tabletop Dobsonian-style base. Follow the on-screen arrows to your target; when the bullseye turns green, you can view it clearly through the eyepiece.
- 150MM REFLECTOR WITH IMPRESSIVE VIEWS: The 6" Newtonian reflector with high-reflectivity coatings delivers sharp, vivid views of the Moon, planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and deep-sky favorites like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy.
$599.95
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The Celestron StarSense Explorer 150 mm Tabletop Dobsonian is a smartphone-guided Dobsonian reflector telescope that blends the simplicity of a classic tabletop Dobsonian with modern app-assisted sky navigation. It features a 150 mm (6″) parabolic primary mirror and a 750 mm focal length (f/5), giving it excellent light-gathering ability to reveal detailed views of the Moon, planets, star clusters, and brighter nebulae.
Rather than a computerized GoTo mount, this telescope uses Celestron’s StarSense Explorer technology: your smartphone (placed in the dedicated dock) analyzes the star field and guides you with on-screen arrows to thousands of celestial objects. That makes it especially beginner-friendly while still giving a powerful visual experience.
The robust tabletop Dobsonian base provides a stable platform, and included accessories — such as 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces, a StarPointer™ red-dot finderscope, an eyepiece rack, and a collimation cap — help you start observing right out of the box.
3. Sky-Watcher Classic 200 Dobsonian 8-inch Telescope
Sale
Sky-Watcher Classic 200 Dobsonian 8-inch Telescope – Solid-Tube – Simple, Traditional Design – Easy to Use, Perfect for Beginners, White (S11610)
- LARGE APERTURE: Get a bright, bold viewing experience at a fraction of other optical designs.
- PROPRIETARY TENSION CONTROL HANDLES: These patented handles allow for accurate movement without the need for perfect balance.
- 94% REFLECTIVE MIRRORS: Fully multi-coated borosilicate primary and secondary mirrors deliver exceptional views. Faintest Steller Magnitude:14.2.
- TEFLON BEARINGS: Proprietary Teflon bearings ensure smooth azimuth movement.
- COMES COMPLETE: All accessories such as, 2-inch Crayford-style focuser with 1 1/4-inch adapter, two super wide-angle eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), and 9x50 straight-through finder scope are included with purchase.
$629.00
Buy on Amazon
The Sky-Watcher Classic 200 mm (8″) Dobsonian is a large-aperture, manual reflector telescope designed for serious beginners through intermediate stargazers who want real deep-sky performance without computerized controls. With a 203 mm (8″) primary mirror, this telescope gathers lots of light, making it excellent for viewing the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even some galaxies with rich detail.
Its solid-tube Dobsonian mount uses a simple rocker-box alt-azimuth base with smooth Teflon bearings, which makes pointing and scanning the night sky intuitive and stable — ideal for long observing sessions. Fully multi-coated mirrors enhance brightness and contrast, helping you see more detail in faint celestial objects compared to smaller telescopes.
The Classic 8″ includes useful accessories like two super wide-angle eyepieces (25 mm and 10 mm) and a 9×50 finderscope to help you locate targets more easily. While it’s manual and not geared toward astrophotography, its large aperture and simple, rugged design make it a classic choice for backyard astronomy.
4. Celestron StarSense Explorer 10-inch App-Enabled Telescope
Celestron StarSense Explorer 10-inch App-Enabled Telescope – 254mm Dobsonian with Smartphone Dock & StarSense App – iPhone & Android Compatible – Easy-to-Use for Beginners
- SMARTPHONE-POWERED SKY TOUR: No experience needed! Just dock your phone, launch the StarSense Explorer app, and follow the on-screen arrows to locate stars, planets, nebulae, and more.
- PATENTED STARSENSE TECHNOLOGY: Unlike other astronomy apps, StarSense Explorer uses sky recognition technology to turn your phone into a celestial navigation system, analyzing star patterns overhead to pinpoint your telescope’s position.
- TONIGHT’S BEST TARGETS, INSTANTLY: The app generates a curated list of the top objects to see based on your time and location. See planets, bright nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the city—and even more from dark skies.
- SIMPLE SETUP, SMOOTH TRACKING: Features an ultra-stable manual altazimuth Dobsonian base. Follow the on-screen arrows to your target; when the bullseye turns green, you can view it clearly through the eyepiece.
- 10-INCH REFLECTOR WITH IMPRESSIVE VIEWS: The 254mm Newtonian reflector with high-reflectivity XLT coatings delivers sharp, vivid views of the Moon, planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and deep-sky favorites like the Orion Nebula and Andromeda Galaxy.
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 10″ Dobsonian is a smartphone-guided Dobsonian reflector telescope that brings big-aperture observing power to beginners and experienced hobbyists alike. With a 10-inch (254 mm) primary mirror, this telescope gathers a significant amount of light, giving you bright, detailed views of the Moon, planets, star clusters, and many deep-sky nebulae and galaxies — much more than typical entry-level scopes.
Instead of traditional star-hopping, this model uses Celestron’s StarSense Explorer technology, which leverages your smartphone’s camera and sensors to analyze the night sky and guide you to celestial objects with on-screen arrows. That makes it much easier to find targets without needing advanced knowledge of star charts or complicated GoTo systems.
The telescope sits on a stable Dobsonian mount — a simple, intuitive alt-azimuth design that lets you manually point and track objects smoothly. A basic eyepiece (usually 25 mm) is included to get you observing right away, though most observers add a range of eyepieces for greater flexibility.
5. Sky-Watcher Flextube 200 Dobsonian 8-inch
Sale
Sky-Watcher Flextube 200 Dobsonian 8-inch Collapsible Large Aperture Telescope – Portable, Easy to Use, Perfect for Beginners (S11700)
- LARGE APERTURE: Get a bright, bold viewing experience at a fraction of the cost of other optical designs.
- INNOVATIVE COLLAPSIBLE DESIGN: Unique strut design allows for optical tube to collapse for ease of portability while keeping collimation.
- PROPRIETARY TENSION CONTROL HANDLES: These patented handles allow for accurate movement without the need for perfect balance.
- 94% REFLECTIVE MIRRORS: Fully multi-coated borosilicate primary and secondary mirrors deliver exceptional views.
- TEFLON BEARINGS: Proprietary Teflon bearings ensure smooth azimuth movement.
The Sky-Watcher Flextube 8″ Collapsible Dobsonian is a classic large-aperture reflector telescope that delivers excellent value and versatility for serious beginners and intermediate stargazers. With a 203 mm (8″) aperture and ~1200 mm focal length, this Newtonian reflector gathers significant light, making it capable of showing detailed views of the Moon, planets, open star clusters, nebulae, and brighter galaxies — far beyond the reach of smaller scopes.
Unlike a solid-tube Dobsonian, the collapsible (Flextube) design lets the optical tube shorten for easier storage and transport, so you can take it to dark-sky sites more conveniently. It rides on a simple Dobsonian rocker-box mount with smooth Teflon bearings, letting you sweep across the sky by hand with minimal effort.
Included accessories normally consist of two Plossl eyepieces (often 12.5 mm and 20 mm) and a finder scope, so you can start observing right away, though many owners choose to upgrade eyepieces for improved wide-field viewing.
6. HandyDob6 6″ Ultra Light Portable Dobsonian Telescope
HandyDob6 6-Inch Ultra Light Portable Dobsonian with Light Shroud and Smartphone Mount – Compact Travel Telescope
- Travel-Ready 6-Inch Dobsonian Telescope – HandyDob6 is a portable 6" Dobsonian reflector telescope designed for stargazers on the go. Assembles in minutes and fits neatly in a carry-on-sized bag.
- Crisp, Bright Views with 150mm Optics – The 150mm (6") primary mirror with 750mm focal length delivers sharp, high-contrast images of the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects.
- Innovative Modular Design – Lightweight and sturdy 3D-printed carbon fiber-reinforced frame offers easy disassembly without tools, making it perfect for travel and quick setup.
- Smooth Manual Tracking – Enjoy fluid motion in both altitude and azimuth thanks to PTFE bearings and precision-balanced construction for smooth celestial navigation.
- Ready for Push-To Upgrades – Seamlessly integrates with the Push-To Air system (sold separately) for smartphone-assisted object tracking via apps like SkySafari.
The HandyDob6 is a compact, travel-friendly Dobsonian reflector telescope built for stargazers who want the classic power of a Dobsonian in a lightweight, portable package. With a 150 mm (6″) primary mirror and a 750 mm focal length (f/5), this telescope gathers plenty of light for enjoyable views of the Moon, planets, star clusters, and brighter nebulae — a significant step up from smaller tabletop scopes.
One of the standout features of the HandyDob6 is its innovative modular design. The lightweight yet strong 3D-printed carbon-fiber-reinforced frame makes assembly and disassembly easy and tool-free, allowing you to pack the telescope into a 17″ carry-on-sized bag for travel or dark-sky trips.
The telescope rides on a Dobsonian alt-azimuth base with PTFE bearings, which provides smooth manual pointing and tracking with minimal effort. A red dot finderscope helps you aim at targets quickly, and a smartphone mount with 360° rotation lets you attach your phone for casual digiscoping or use with star chart apps. Eyepieces and collimation tools are typically not included, giving you flexibility to customize optics later.
7. Sky-Watcher 12″ Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope
Sale
Sky Watcher Sky-Watcher Flextube 300 Dobsonian 12-inch Collapsible Large Aperture Telescope – Portable, Easy to Use, Perfect for Beginners, White/Black (S11740)
- LARGE APERTURE: Get a bright, bold viewing experience at a fraction of the cost of other optical designs.
- INNOVATIVE COLLAPSIBLE DESIGN: Unique strut design allows for optical tube to collapse for ease of portability while keeping collimation.
- PROPRIETARY TENSION CONTROL HANDLES: These patented handles allow for accurate movement without the need for perfect balance.
- 94% REFLECTIVE MIRRORS: Fully multi-coated borosilicate primary and secondary mirrors deliver exceptional views.
- STEEL NEEDLE BEARINGS: Proprietary steel needle bearings ensure smooth azimuth movement.
The Sky-Watcher 12″ Collapsible Dobsonian is a high-performance manual reflector telescope built for serious visual astronomers and enthusiasts who want deep-sky capability without the complexity of computerized mounts. Its 12-inch (305 mm) aperture gathers a tremendous amount of light — roughly 1,840× more than the human eye — making it excellent for observing nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and detailed lunar and planetary features.
Unlike a traditional rigid tube Dobsonian, the Collapsible (FlexTube) design lets the optical tube shorten for easier transport and storage — collapsing down significantly compared to its full length during observing. This makes a 12″ Dobsonian much more manageable for backyard use or trips to dark-sky sites.
The telescope rides on a classic Dobsonian base with Teflon bearings, allowing smooth manual movement as you sweep across the sky with minimal effort. While stock accessories typically include basic eyepieces and a finder, many users upgrade eyepieces over time to take even better advantage of the large aperture.
What are Dobsonian Telescopes?
Dobsonian telescopes are also commonly referred to as light buckets. When it comes to observing deep space objects, light gathering aperture is the single most important factor.
Dobsonians combine medium to large aperture Newtonian Reflector optics with a simple lazy Susan style altazimuth mount that sits directly on the ground.
This keeps the cost low without having to compromise on the size or quality of the optics.
Types Of Dobsonian Telescopes
Three types of Dobsonian telescope are commonly available for sale. The choice between them generally comes down to what is practical based upon the aperture of the telescope
Solid Tube Dobsonian Telescopes
Dobsonians with solid tubes are popular in telescopes with smaller apertures, at least as far as Dobsonians go. The optical tube assembly is a one piece affair. The most common sizes offer six, eight, and 10-inches of aperture.
The most common examples for Solid tube Dobsonians are the Sky-Watcher Classic and Orion Skyquest models.
Collapsible Tube Dobsonian Telescopes
Collapsible Dobsonians feature a one-piece optical tube assembly that is capable of collapsing upon itself to reduce the overall length.
The lower part of the tube with the primary mirror and upper part with the secondary mirror and focuser are permanently connected with metal poles. With the flick of some locking levers, the entire assembly can collapse upon itself.
Collapsible Dobsonians make the most sense in 12 and 14-inch apertures, where the collapsed length of the optical tube will fit across the back seat of a car.
Smaller collapsibles have little benefit, other than a reduction in storage space.
Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescopes
Truss tube telescopes make a great deal of sense for apertures of twelve inches or more.
A lower mirror box housing the primary mirror is connected to the upper cage assembly with the secondary mirror and focuser using removable truss poles.
Unlike the other two types above, this distributes both the weight and length of the fully assembled optical tube across a number of smaller and lighter components. These telescopes must be assembled in the field before they can be used.
Benefits of a Dobsonian Telescope
Easy to setup & use
Perfect for beginner and amateur astronomers. A Dobsonian can be up and running in just a few minutes from box to backyard.
A Dobsonian mount is so easy to set up and use, it feels like second nature. All a person needs to do is grab the scope and move it in the right direction.
As a matter of fact, assembling the telescope takes only a minute or two. The telescope moves smoothly with minimal pressure. Dobsonian mounts are lighter and very portable.
There are a few cons. You cannot use this type of mount for astrophotography as it does not track the stars. You manually have to move the telescope every few minutes to keep an object in view. You will also find it a bit difficult to view objects near the zenith.
Portable Design
Engineered with highly varied weights and sizes. At first glance, you might assume that a Dobsonian is too big or heavy to be portable. On the contrary, Dobsonians are some of the easiest telescopes to both set up and relocate.
No image distortions
Dobsonians do not suffer from the image distortion caused by chromatic aberration in refracting telescopes.
Dobsonian mounts are affordable
One of the primary reasons that many astronomers love Dobsonian telescopes for their night-sky observation is cost. Simply put, a Dobsonian mount is generally cheaper to make than an equatorial mount or even a fine-tuning alt-azimuth mount.
Well adapted
The dobsonians are highly adaptive telescopes – The dobsonians on our list range from beginner use to professional use.
Large aperture and low weight
The best Dobsonian telescopes are ones with great aperture but are still practical to use. It’s not uncommon to find Dobsonians of 12 inches and more, and you would be pleasantly surprised at the low cost.
They’re built with hollow tubes, so are lighter than you’d expect (at least in the 10-inch and smaller sizes). It also helps that the base rarely weighs more than the tube itself.
However, the larger you go with aperture, the heavier and less portable Dobsonians become. You have to consider the practicality of getting a 12-inch telescope to fit in your car.
It will also be quite heavy to move if you are on your own, stargazing solo. Of course, you also need a suitable place to store your telescope as you cannot keep it outside exposed to the elements.
Buying Guide - How To Choose The Best Dobsonian Telescope
Dobsonian telescopes are great because you get a lot of aperture for your money.
Features to consider when choosing a Dobsonian
Aperture
Aperture is a measurement of the primary mirror of a reflector telescope. As I mentioned above, a larger aperture means that the telescope allows more light in. More light contributes to brighter, crisper, more detailed images.
Dobsonian telescopes are great because you get a lot of aperture for your money. A refractor telescope of similar size and image quality would be much more expensive.
Of all the telescopes listed here, the Skywatcher S11840 Dobsonian has the largest aperture at 16, followed by the Zhumell Z12 & SkyWatcher S11820 GoTo Dobsonian with 12” aperture.
Portability
Smaller, more portable telescopes often aren’t quite as powerful as heavier ones. That said, it’s important to choose a telescope that you can handle and will actually use regularly.
Large aperture and low weight
Telescopes are an incredible door to the heavens, for anybody intrigued by space and astronomy and is willing to investigate the unending immensity of the world. If you are looking for the best telescope under $500 then you are bound to encounter a wide variety of choices. The telescopes for under $500 are ideal for amateurs to intermediates to advanced as well.
A telescope in this price range will enable you to view planetary details like shadows and texture of the moon, nebulae and galaxies, among other objects.
There is a big variation between telescopes used for watching mountains and cities, than those for watching the Moon and neighbouring planets, or the ones for deep space exploration.
Automation
Computerized telescopes make locating and tracking thousands of celestial objects much faster, easier, and more convenient. If you’re looking for an automated scope, I recommend the SkyWatcher S11800.
Who’s Using It?
If you’re using your Dob for outreach, you’ll want something portable but at the same time with as much aperture as possible – GoTo or digital setting circle assistance also helps as you’ll save time locating targets.
If you’re using it with your kids, portability may not be as much of a consideration but the quality of the image, as well as the kid’s interest, will dictate a lot about your choice of the telescope.
If you’re buying a telescope for a teenager, we wouldn’t recommend going above 8 inches in aperture, as the collimation will be too difficult and it’ll be too heavy for them to set up and use on their own.
Conclusion
Our top pick is the SkyWatcher S11820 GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope that offers the convenience and affordability of the traditional Dobsonian with the convenience of a computerized Go-To telescope.
This electronic telescope lets you program it to find objects in the night sky automatically, saving you the effort of reading star charts and manuals.
Our next best is the best dobsonian under $500 – The Orion 8945 SkyQuest XT8 Classic – boasts an 8″ parabolic primary mirror that gathers a significant amount of light to generate bright, high resolution images without visual imperfections such as spherical aberration.
These telescopes are all great options for the price ranges they fall in. You just have to remember that you get what you pay for.
As the price gets lower, you will not be able to view as much, or as clearly, as you can with the more expensive ones.
The one you get will depend on what your viewing needs are and how they match with your budget. Now the decision is in your hands.
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